WVU Parkersburg International Education Week

November 12, 2008

WVU Parkersburg celebrating International Education Week, Nov. 17-21, 2008.

CONTACT: Dr. Rebecca Phillips, professor of English, 304-424-8282.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia University at Parkersburg will celebrate International Education Week (Nov. 17-21) with a series of programs promoting the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Sessions ranging from study abroad and Peace Corps opportunities to a "one-stop" passport shop will be part of the activities.

The week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. It represents efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

All of the WVU Parkersburg events are free and open to the public.   The week-long activities are sponsored by the college's new Office for Global Initiatives.

On Monday (Nov. 17), study abroad opportunities in Saltillo, Mexico will be discussed in an 11 a.m. session in Room 1305. Providing information will be former Fulbright Exchange teacher Ellen Rainey, owner/director of the Centro de Estudios Americanos based at the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila in Saltillo.

Tom Langehaug, Peace Corps representative at Ohio University, will share his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer and explain the opportunities offered by today’s Peace Corps in a 3:30 p.m. session Tuesday (Nov. 18) in Room 2209.   A volunteer in Panama from 2000-2003, he worked as a Peace Corps recruiter and recruitment coordinator for five years in both the Atlanta and Seattle regional offices before coming to the Mid-Ohio Valley.

As a Peace Corps volunteer, Langehaug helped local merchants improve their business skills and community educators improve their English curriculum. He also organized and managed several conferences to promote projects in Panama and train community leaders in different skill areas.

Langehaug says that his Peace Corps experience changed him in profound ways. " Peace Corps helped clarify for me what is important in my life and how my desires may affect others," he noted. "It also gave me the insight of experiencing other cultures and enjoying the differences and commonalities we all share. My work as a Peace Corps volunteer was without a doubt the most challenging and gratifying experience of my life."

On Wednesday (Nov. 19), WVU Parkersburg will host a "one-stop" passport shop for those interested in applying for a passport. The session will be held at 11 a.m. in the aerobics room. Representatives from the Wirt County Circuit Clerk's office and CVS will be available so applicants can have passport photos taken and processed as well as complete the application form for a U.S. passport. Those planning to participate need a certified copy of their birth certificate. The cost of a passport is approximately $100.

The Tun Abdul Razak chair of Southeast Asian Studies at Ohio University will share his insights Wednesday (Nov. 19) in a 7:30 p.m. presentation entitled "Post-Election U.S.-Asia Business Relations."   Professor Muhammad Salleh will look at the changing politics in Asia, especially Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The talk will be given in Room 1305. Professor Salleh holds a Ph.D. in entrepreneurship studies from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom and completed post-doctoral work at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

His presentation is co-sponsored by the WVU Parkersburg Office for Global Initiatives, the Coldwater Creek Lecture Series, and the Humanities Speakers Series.

Additional information about International Education Week is available by contacting Rebecca Phillips, professor of English, 304-424-8282.

cd11/13/08

For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
(304-424-8203)

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